Better Luck Next Time
by Juveniliare
Summary: "Sure, anything for a homeless midget who barged my place, throw a mug, break my nose, destroyed my washing machine, brain wash me with Chappy series and god knows what else." He merely forgot to lock his door, that's it. AU-IR-One Shot.


Title : Better Luck Next Time

Summary : "Sure, anything for a homeless midget who barged my place, throw a mug, break my nose, destroyed my washing machine, brain wash me with Chappy series and god knows what else." He merely forgot to lock his door, that's it. AU One Shot.

Word Count : 2033

**It's been a long time, but I'm back in town.**

**Bleach is not mine (as she suggested the motion with utmost shame and sadness it broke her heart and yadda yadaa...)**

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><p>Morning came, and a certain orange head woke up. He yawned, grabbed the towel and practically kicked the bathroom door open. He's a bit grateful he knocked his mirror last week. Didn't need to see his sleepy face then. Twenty minutes later he was in the class. The day promised to be boring once more. Or not.<p>

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><p>The class ended with a fit full groan. Another steady stack of assignment was once again put unto the shoulders of the scholars. As Unohana-sensei was about to closed the door, she glanced the class once more and found a black haired girl still in her seat.<p>

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><p>Kurosaki Ichigo is a good boy. Albeit his punkish appearance, orange hair and studded belt that is. His everlasting scowling face, and excellent choice for cussing words, all and all he's really a good boy with a shiny heart and always try to steer away from trouble. Though it rather seems that trouble always have the pleasure to find him and torture him with a punch or two from local punks, which he punched back (of course, he's a sensible man as well).<p>

He's also a passionate man for his friends and family minus the dad. Who often goofs around by sending a random punch or two without whatsoever reason to his so called lovely-no-goodie-genius-eunuch-sexually-questionable-darling-son, realize the over inconsistency? Sometimes Ichigo wonder if insanity runs in the gen, if it does proves that way, he promised he'll hang his self dry in his own bedroom. He's dear to his twin sisters and loyal to his friends. It's not on every daily basis available that Ichigo made friends with random person, so he really cherishes his friends and would be there no longer than a second if he's needed.

He's smart too! Ranked somewhere around parallel 15th until the day he graduated from high school. Took the test for medical in a fancy university and currently enrolled in the said university. He made sure the university was far away from home, so he could learn the sense of living independently alone and far away from dear-annoying father. He's also working part time job to save some money, and always making sure that he's studying right (not hard mind you, it's different. He's not Ishida who study so hard he contracted triple layered glasses).

He avoided drinking, drugs and voluptuous b(r)east. Because it's stupid and one thing leads to another and he just can't imagine the consequences it may brought. And Ichigo hate the rain, he hates the way his shirt would stick to his skin and how he will have to rush to his place to save his laundry. He's a coffee addict though.

He's a slightly emotional man. Not emotional as in the teary eyed who burst into a living fountain upon cliché chick flick stories. But the emotional, passionate, 'you're messing around with me, eh?' kind of guy. Oh, and he's horrible at managing his anger.

And he's having second thought about his life. Life is great, not. Lately Ichigo have been feeling rather off. Bored, so extremely bored and tired as well. So far everything he wanted was in order. Finish high school, enter university, stay away from his dad, and then..? He figured it's just one of those home sick syndromes, but that sound stupid. He's bored, and moody.

So on one rainy afternoon (there goes his laundry soaking in the rain then, grumblegrumble) after a hellish marathon-class with Urahara-sensei, Ichigo found his apartment door already opened and an unknown girl snoring happily ever after in his couch. Smells of alcohol and smoke wafting in the air, and the girl didn't even bother to take off her dirty shoes.

Long story short, he explodes.

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><p>Kuchiki Rukia is bored, that's it. She's just bored and tired as hell and decided to do something completely out of the ordinary. No she's not going to run on the walls trying to impersonate Spider Man. She's not that desperate. She ran away from home. That's not exactly new, a lot of people had done it, she knows. But it's certainly way out of <em>her ordinary<em>, and the first step towards the unexplored world seems so exciting. She instantly forgot about her brother, her _Kuchiki-this-Kuchiki-that_ kind of thing, and her dull college assignments (she's only in business management because of her brother, seriously. Where's the fun in there?)

To put it short, she's feeling the it's-my-time-to-decide vibes. Just like the one in the songs.

Out of the blue, after a horrid morning class that went so well she was ready to pull her hair from her head. It's a day before weekend anyway. Rukia decided she'll just slip, forgot, and play pretend that the Tokyo train is heading to her usual drop off station when it's obviously not.

Tokyo city looks nice, like the one she remember from previous trips. And then Rukia ponders, where is she going to stay? She's really tired from all the walking and sightseeing. And she made a mistake earlier by entering a crappy looking cab that smelled of cigar and alcohol, and charge a considerable sum of money. She bit her inner lips hard; taking the cab was a mistake and her cash is low. Besides the sky looks grey now, it should be raining in any minute. She ticked her fingers and scrolls her cell's contact log, and made a call.

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><p>Kuchiki Rukia is a living fire cracker, later Ichigo decides. After he wake her up rather unceremoniously, she starts scrambling for the sofa's pillow and slammed it right to Ichigo's face. Yelling, screaming and cussing beautifully that even Ichigo was put into shamed with his limited vocabulary. He retaliated of course, with his own set of words.<p>

_Who the hell are you in my apartme-YOU'RE APARTMENT? FILTHY BASTA-THIS IS MY PLACE MIDGE-FINISH THAT WORD AND I'LL KILL YO-WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT TO SA-GET OUT!-THIS IS MY FRIGGIN PLACE! _

They settled down after Ichigo saw the girl eying a mug near her, as much pissed off he was, he rather offered a peace treaty than lying in the floor with blood oozing from a crack on his head.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." He growled lightly.

"Kuchiki Rukia." She glared slightly.

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><p>Rukia knew there was something extremely wrong when she couldn't reach Renji's cell. But as the <em>Kuchiki Knows the Best <em>dogma was chanting rather loudly in her head, she decides that it should be alright if she just goes straight to his place. She still remembers the address. The walk was long, tiring, and drizzly. Rukia made a note to throw her shoes into the laundry after she reached Renji's place. She rushed her pace in hope to avoid the rain. Renji was her childhood best friend, they've both gone through a lot of things.

Eventually she reach the apartment complex, somewhere near Renji's university, climbed the stairs straight to the second floor and in her delight found that his door is unlocked. In her tired state, Rukia went straight to the sofa and plop herself on the soft cushion. She's not exactly that wet, and Rukia was sure Renji wouldn't mind if she ruined the sofa. The baboon shouldn't mind that much.

_Hmm.. Renji is definitely using a new aftershave. And his sofa is new._

And off Rukia goes to sleep.

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><p>"Abarai got kicked off from this apartment."<p>

Strike one. It's amusing, really.

"He held a party that goes crazy and the land lord isn't happy."

Strike two. Scratch that, it's really **really **amusing.

"I don't know where he is now."

Strike three and you're out for the whole season! Ichigo was trying hard not to bet against himself if her eyes can go any wider. He have a very good feeling he'll win.

"Are you sure?" her voice was low, and deadly. Out of nowhere a thunder roared, and then it's not that amusing anymore.

"Got the story from next door. Said he was really glad that Abarai was gone. He didn't even want to know where the guy lives now." Ichigo crossed his arms, he's definitely not scared with the tiny girl in front of him, but she's sure making him nervous. Kuchiki (Ichigo is a polite man, he won't call this scary midget by her first name. Wait he's not scared, he have made it clear) fell into silent.

It lasted for a few seconds before the girl finally looks at him, "I'm terribly sorry, I must get going now then."

_That was fast._

She started to gather her bag that was strewn near the sofa before Ichigo sigh loud enough to fill the silence.

"Do you even know where you're going?"

As expected, the said girl stopped on her track.

"Look, just the fact that you literally crash gate this place shows you're desperate for a place to stay. And as far as I know, you're just a girl trying to find her friend. Not really a bad person, and since it's already night and it's raining..." here Ichigo took a deep breath and realized that her eyes were an inch larger than before, "You can take the couch."

Kuchiki blinked her eyes, "You (point) just suggest me to take the couch?"

Ichigo double blink, "Well, it would be stupid to offer a midget stranger my bed."

The last thing he saw was white. _Porcelain white_ _mug._

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><p>He woke up in the morning on his couch with an aching head and <em>nose.<em> Which scared him. Because last night he dreamed a scary palm sized she-tiger waiting for him in his living room armed with a white porcelain mug which the tiger throw at him, in the nose. Jackpot.

"Good morning."

Kurosaki Ichigo didn't shriek, especially like a girl, but there's always the first of everything.

"Umm... hello, I'm really sorry for what happened last night. So, I dragged you to your couch, and took the bed..?"

The girl, **Kuchiki Rukia**, is real thing. And if Ichigo's wide eye is any indication to an expression of utmost astonishment any man can ever come across to, the girl didn't pay any attention to it.

"Well, you are heavy and it's just impossible to drag you to your bed."

"You could've as well go away and leave me in the floor."

"Be thankful I took you to the couch, tend your nose, mop your bloodied floor and made you a coffee, fool!"

"Should I be thankful—wait coffee?"

The girl timidly raised the mug she held and Ichigo visibly cringed. It's the white mug. **The white mug.**

"You don't have any glass but this."

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><p>Rukia was tying her shoelace, shiny as if new. Of course she took extra care to scrub the shoe clean. She stands up and turned. Ichigo was already there, sporting a good scowl and his hundredth coffee in the legendary white mug.<p>

"Thanks, for these two days."

"Sure, anything for a homeless midget who barged my place, throw a mug, break my nose, destroyed my washing machine, brain wash me with Chappy series and god knows what else."

A vein visibly popped out from Rukia's forehead, while Ichigo's smirk broadens much to her dismay. She knew she was in the wrong.

"It wasn't that bad..."

"Geeze, woman! Who used washing machine to wash their shoes!"

"I also took some money, can't afford ticket back home."

"Sure, sure. Anything to get you away." Ichigo was utterly defeated. This girl practically didn't exist even at the back of his head prior two days ago, and he's mentally sure she just imprinted herself brutally in his head. With neon flashes, laser beam, she-tiger and white bunny carrying mugs. Ichigo shudders.

"I'll be going then."

With a smile she turns and walks.

"Call me sometimes. I'll make sure the door is unlocked."

Rukia spun and saw that annoying smirk she has been accustomed in the past two days. "Sure, Ichigo."

"Until then, Rukia." She spun once more and walk without turning back.

_Thank god Ichigo didn't have a mirror. That Chappy band looks perfect in his face![]_

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><p><strong>A.N. *Rolling on the floor dying.* English is not my first language, please point that gun somewhere else.<strong>

**Todds.**


End file.
